Mattress cover top and bottom panels are formed on quilting machines, usually from continuous webs of multi-layered material, and then cut into rectangular panels. The cutting is carried out by feeding the quilted web to a panel cutter that is typically located on the quilting line downstream of the quilting station so that the quilted web need not be rerolled and transferred to the cutting equipment. The top and bottom panels are then sewn around their edges to border panels to form a mattress cover that encloses a spring or foam interior.
In order to keep the mattress cover from shifting about the mattress interior, a flange of fabric, usually a non-woven material, is sewn on the back surface of each top and bottom panel, typically around the inside of the edge, thereby leaving the edge free to be sewn to the border panel using tape edge attaching equipment. Upon assembly of the mattress, the flanges on the top and bottom panels are clipped or otherwise attached to the sides of the spring or foam interior to hold them in place relative to the interior. Then the border panel is attached around the edge of the mattress by sewing it at its opposite edges to the edges of the top and bottom panels that have been attached to the mattress interior.
Typically, the sewing of the flange onto the panel is carried out with a device that may be called a flanger. The panels cut from the web by the panel cutter are usually transferred to the flanger for the attaching of the flange. This flanging process consumes production time and adds to the mattress cost.
A need exists for a more efficient method and apparatus for attaching a flange to a mattress cover panel.